Machine for pricking prunes or plums



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BIRNEY BURRELL AND WILLIAM J. DOIDGE, OF WRIGHTS, CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR PRICKING PRUNES OR PLUMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,182, dated June 6, 1893.

Application filed August 9, 1892. Serial No.442,631. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES BIRNEY BUR- EELL' and WILLIAM J. DOIDGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Wrights, Santa Clara county, State of California, have invented a Machine for Pricking Prunes and Plums; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to the general class of fruit manipulating machines.

It consists of a machinefor prickingor puncturing the skins of prunes and plums. It is common practice in the drying of these fruits to out their skins. This is done by dipping in lye, and the fruit thus cut dfies much more rapidly, and more satisfactorily.

The object of our invention is to provide a suitable machine for mechanically cutting the skins of prunes and plums by pricking or puncturing them.

The essential feature of our machine is an agitating table or other surface provided with pricking points. The fruit is supplied to the table or surface which by its movement causes the agitation and advance of said fruit over the pricking points, thereby causing their skins to be punctured.

Other features of novelty consist in the construction of the pricking table, the means of mounting and moving it and other details of construction and arrangement, all of which we shall hereinafter fully describe and specifically point out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of our invention,Figure l is a perspective View of our machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of same.

The pricking surface, though it may be of any form, as, for example, of a curved shape, such as a cylinder, having exterior or interior pricking points, is best formed as a plain table A, with side guards a. From the surface of this table, which is preferably made of wood, project the pricking points B. These may be of any suitable character. Steel needles will answer the purpose well, and to prevent oxidation they may, if desired, be coated with any suitable non-rusting material. To

this table is given a shaking movement so that C O are cross arms to which the table is se- I cured near each end. These project sidewise and are supported in suitable bearings 01 in the sides of the main frame D in such a manner that they can slide back and forth transversely of the frame. Mounted in said frame is a cross shaft E, to one end of which is secured a large wheel F which serves the threefold purpose of a crank disk, a fly-wheel and a cam-wheel. On the periphery of this wheel is formed or provided, in suitable manner, a serpentine cam groove f, and with this, one end of the supporting arms 0 C engages, whereby as the wheel is rotated, the arms are moved back and forth in lines at right angles to the frame, and the table A is consequently given a side shake or movement. This movement is eased up at its limits by a properly disposed spring. We have here shown it arranged as follows: To the inner surface of the opposite side of frame D are secureditwo clamping bars G, between which is secure'dby its middle, a long spring H. The ends of the bars G are beveled away from each other to leave a space between and in this space the free ends of the spring H can play sidewise. These free ends project beyond the ends'of the bars, and they are notched upon the supporting arms 0 O on that side in such a manner as to engage'and move with said arms. 7 Now, when the table and arms begin to move over to one side, the spring ends move freelyin their bars; but before the limit of their stroke is reached they come in contact with said bars and finding resistance, their tension correspondingly increases, so thatby the time the limit is reached they have eased up the stroke and the change to the return stroke is without jar.

The wheel F has a handle f for operating it by hand, and upon the other end of shaft E, we have shown a pulley e whereby power may be applied when desired.

When it is desired to provide for the initial separation of the leaves, smaller and worthless fruit and other dbris from the good fruit, the head portion of table A is made into a grating a, which lies directly under the supply hopper I and above the debris platform J at the head of frame D The hopper I has a bottom openingi rendered adjustable by a gate 2" operated by a pivoted lever 2' on the back of the hopper. Thus the supply of fruit can be properly regulated. The lower end of the dbris platform J is provided with a rocking stop bar j, the end j of which projects through the side of frame D whereby it can be rocked from a vertical position in which it will hold the debris, to a horizontal position in which it lies above the platform, thus aifording space for the leaves tobe pushed through under it. In suitable guides d on the sides of the main frame is mounted the receiving tray K. This can slide back and forth on said guides, and passes under the table A and under the platform J. Vhen drawn down it moves from under the platform thus permitting the debris to be discharged, and by so moving it, the fruit from table A is received by it throughout its length, and being thus spread over it, is carried off to dry. The table is mounted at a slight inclination as shown, and in order to regulate this inclination as required, the legs (1 at one end of the frame A are fitted with adjustable extensions :1 held in place by set screws (1 The operation of our machine is obvious. The fruit is fed from the hopper upon the grating at the head of the shaking table. The leaves and other Worthless portions are here separated from the good fruit. The latter passes down upon the table and is pricked and punctured by the points B. It is discharged upon the tray and then carried off to dry.

The table A is readily accessible so that at intervals it can be cleansed by streams of water or otherwise.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, a shaking surface or bed provided with a number of pricking points, and means for feeding the fruit to said surface or bed whereby it comes in contact with said points,snbstantially as herein described.

2. In a machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, a shaking surface or bed provided with a number of pricking points and mounted at a suitable inclination to receive the fruit and advance it in contact with its pricking points, substantially as herein described.

3. In a machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, the combination of a frame, a table mounted in said frame at a suitable inclination to receive and advance the fruit over its surface, said table being provided with a number of pricking points with which the fruit comes in contact, a hopper for feeding the fruit to the table and means for shakin g the table, substantially as herein described.

4. A machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, consisting of a frame, an inclined table supported thereby, said table having the pricking points, and the grating at the head portion of the table, a hopper over the head of the table anda means for imparting a shaking movement to said table, substantially as herein described.

5. In a machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, the combination of the table with its pricking points, the sliding supporting arms of said table, the wheel F with its cam groove with which the supporting arms engage for imparting a side shake to said table and a spring on the opposite side to relieve the table at the ends of its stroke, substantially as herein described.

6. In a machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, the combination of the main frame, the table with its pricking points, the transverse supporting arms of the table sliding in the sides of the main frame, the wheel F with its cam groove with which one end of the supporting arms engage, the clamping bars with spaced ends secured to the opposite side of the main frame, and the spring seated between said bars and having its projecting ends engaging the other ends of the supporting arms, substantially as herein described.

7. In a machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, the combination of the main frame, the shaking table supported thereby and having the pricking points, and the tray mounted and sliding in the main frame under the shaking table, substantially as herein described.

8. A machine for pricking or puncturing the skins of fruit, consisting of the main frame having the adjustable legs to vary its inclination, the shaking inclined table supported by said frame and having the pricking points and the grating at its head, the feed hopper over the grating, the dbris platform with adjustable stop bar under the grating and the sliding tray mounted in the main frame under the table and platform, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JAMES BIRNEY BURRELL. WILLIAM J. DOIDGE. Witnesses:

GEO. W. MILLER, MAUDE A. MILLER. 

